EL great hymn to the god Aten It is one of the hymns dedicated to the most famous gods in the world, since it is believed that refers to psalm 104 of the bible.
This hymn was found in the temple that was intended to pay tribute to the god Aten, and it was used as a kind of "sung prayer”In all ceremonies for Aten.
It was very popular in the time of the ancient Egyptians but nevertheless, remained missing for a long time until its discovery, after which a lot of work was done to translate it, since as you should know, many of the hieroglyphics from ancient Egypt, they had several different meanings, so making a correct interpretation of any text as important as this hymn is a very long and difficult job.
Here we leave you the final translation of the hymn:
«Splendid you rise on the horizon,
Oh living Aton, creator of life
When you wake up on the eastern horizon,
You fill all lands with your beauty.
You are beautiful, great, dazzling,
Elevated over all lands;
Your rays embrace the lands,
To the limit of everything you have created.
Because being Ra, you reach its limits (* 1),
And you have brought them down (for) your beloved son;
Although you are far away, your rays shine on the earth,
Although anyone feels your presence, your rays are invisible.
When you stand on the western horizon
The earth remains in darkness, as in death;
They all lie in rooms, their heads covered,
One eye cannot see its partner.
They could be stripped of their property,
Although they are on their heads,
People would not notice.
All the lions come out of their dens,
All snakes bite (* 2);
The darkness is closing in, the earth is silent,
Just as its creator rests on the horizon.
The earth shines when you wake up on the horizon,
While you shine like the Aton during the day;
When you dispel the darkness
When you offer your rays,
The Two Lands are in celebration
Awake and standing on your feet,
You have raised them.
Their bodies are purified, (5) clothed,
His arms adore your appearance.
All the earth is preparing to work,
All the flocks graze in his pasture;
The trees and herbs flourish,
The birds fly from their nests,
Their wings greet your ka.
Every flock leaps on its legs.
Everything that flies and lands,
Live when you wake up for them.
Ships go upstream, and downstream,
All roads open when you rise.
The fish in the river jump before you,
Your rays are in the center of the sea.
You who make the seed grow within women,
You who create the sperm persons;
Whoever feeds a child in his mother's womb,
Who you calm by extinguishing their tears.
Nurse in the womb,
Giver of breath,
To animate everything you create.
When it comes out of the womb to breathe,
The day of your birth
You attend to their needs.
When the chicken is in the egg, chirping inside the shell,
You breathe into her to breathe life into her;
When you've finished it
So that I can break the egg,
It comes out of your interior,
To announce its termination,
Walking on its two legs comes out of it.
How great is your work,
Though hidden from view,
Oh, the One God with whom no one exists! (*3)
You created the earth according to your will, you alone,
All men, all animals great and small,
All things on earth that walk on his legs,
Everything that flies by means of its wings,
The lands of Khor (* 4) and Kush,
The land of Egypt.
You put every man in his place
You satisfy their needs,
Each one has his food,
You calculate the duration of their lives.
Their tongues differ in language,
So also their characters;
Their skins are different
To distinguish people (* 5).
You cause the flood from the Duat (* 6)
You wear it when you want it
Give life to men,
Well, you have created them for you.
Lord of all, who works for them,
Lord of all lands, who shines for them,
The Aton of the day, great in his glory!
To all the distant lands, that you make live,
You have granted them the descent of the flood from heaven;
(10) He creates waves on the mountains, as does the sea,
To soak their fields and their cities.
How excellent are your works, O Lord of eternity!
A flood from heaven for foreigners
And for all the creatures of the earth that walk on its legs,
For Egypt the flood comes from the Duat.
Your rays feed all the fields,
When you shine, they live, they grow for you;
You create the stations to develop all your work:
Winter to refresh them, heat to make them feel you.
You have created the distant sky to shine there,
To contemplate all your work,
You alone, shining in your Aton form,
Elevated, radiant, distant, close.
You create millions of forms of yourself,
Cities, towns, fields, the course of the river;
All eyes are watching you above them,
For you are the Aton of the hours of the day above.
You are in my heart,
There is no one who knows you
Except your son, Neferjeperura, the One of Ra, (* 8)
To whom you have shown your paths and your power.
All those on earth come out of your hands when you create them,
When you wake up they live
When you wear they die;
You are the vital time in all your members, they all live thanks to you.
All eyes are on (your) beauty until you lay down,
All labors cease when you rest in the West;
When you get up you make everyone rush for the King,
All the legs are in motion since you founded the earth.
You raise them for your son who comes from your body,
The King who lives in Maat, the Lord of the Two Lands,